Norway’s Svalbard Airport is known as the world’s northernmost airport running scheduled commercial flights. However, the future of the airport is uncertain as the permafrost functioning as a foundation for the runway is threatened by climate change.
The Svalbard Airport is located near the settlement of Longyearbyen, in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. As the northernmost airport for regular commercial flights, it is often used by tourists who want to admire the Northern Lights. Both SAS and Norwegian Airlines regularly fly between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland, located some 800 kilometres to the south.
The runway, measuring 2,300 metres in length, was built at the start of the 1970s on what was thought to be a solid foundation of permafrost – also known as ground that has remained frozen for at least two years. However, climate change hasn’t left Svalbard untouched and what was once permafrost is now increasingly melting away. As the once-frozen ground is heating and thawing, foundations are becoming unstable.
“During the summer months we must check the runway meticulously every day, because the soil might subside at any point. This is a challenge that we only expect to get worse with time,” Ragnhild Kommisrud, Svalbard Airport’s manager, told CNN.
If the runway were to become unusable, this would have great consequences both for tourists and local inhabitants alike. Locals would for example need to rely on ships to bring them essential supplies, which means a four-day roundtrip from the nearest port.
“We always keep extra staff and material here at the airport, because if something breaks down, we must be able to repair it ourselves, without outside help,” said Kommisrud.
A difficult balance regarding tourism
Tourists, on the other hand, would not be able to travel as far northwards by plane any longer, which would mean they too would have to travel by boat. And as this would probably mean a decrease in tourist numbers, many of the locals would no longer have a job – since the coal mines around the town have mostly shut down, tourism has become the main economic activity in the region.
While it is not clear yet what the future will bring for Svalbard’s runway and what it will do for the local economy, authorities have already been taking steps in order to avoid overtourism in a place where the ecosystem is very fragile. The number of lodgings in Svalbard has for example been capped at 500 rooms and tourists are advised against venturing outside the town on their own, both for their safety and that of the nature surrounding them.
